Download Points by Civic Location
Download Points Around Location
Point Details and Output Customization
Example of point information tagging
Checkpoints Example: Walking the Boardwalk at New Westminster Quay from the Inn at the Quay
Viewing and Managing Checkpoints
Adding Comments to Checkpoints
Loadstone GPS is a powerful, easy-to-use app that enables blind pedestrians to "go blindly where everyone sighted has gone before."
It is designed by the blind, for the blind, specifically for those who use Voiceover.
Get turn-by-turn directions from your current location to a desired destination.
Access and download from a world-wide database of points from OpenStreetMap, public mapping sources, transit systems, and points shared by other Loadstone users.
Create, store, and share your own navigation waypoints with others or the Loadstone comunity.
Filter point searches and output by categories and tags.
Explore your surroundings with features like 'Show Neighbourhood', 'Explore', and 'Find Point'.
Receive approach and arrival alerts for points of interest.
Customize alerts, units of measure, address format and other settings.
Display astronomic information like sunrise and set, moonrise and set, etc.
Track distance travelled with a built-in trip meter.
Import text databases and checkpoints from previous Loadstone versions.
No data plan required to use most major functions.
Complete documentation included.
Available in multiple languages.
The 'Getting Started' section guides new users through Pointshare Registration and Loading Mapping Data. The Tabs Layout sections give you an orientation of the buttons and functions in each of Loadstone's four tabs: 'Navigation', 'Databases', 'Extras' and 'Settings'. Detailed instructions on how to use Loadstone's navigation functions can be found in the section called 'Navigation Functions'.
Point - A point is a location designated by latitude and longitude coordinates. Points can be locations on a map (example: Stanley Park) or a location that a user saves to a Loadstone database (example: My Home.)
Checkpoint – A checkpoint is a point that you are interested in, for example, your favourite coffee shop, intersections you cross on the way to work, etc.
Route - Routes are checkpoints that have a defined order
See the Glossary at the end of this manual for more terminology and definitions.
Registration to Pointshare is the first step in getting started. Pointshare registration is required to save points you save with Loadstone. Your points are not shared unless you choose to share them. The email address you enter in your Pointshare registration is for User ID purposes only and will not be shared with other Loadstone users or the general public. Email addresses used are case sensitive and cannot be changed. An internet connection is required to complete registration to Pointshare.
Upon first launch, the app will prompt for your username and password. This information will be saved and will not need to be reentered. The app will then ask you if you want to retrieve mapping data as there is no mapping data loaded by default.
there is no data loaded when you first launch Loadstone. You will be prompted to 'Download Points by Civic Location'. Follow the prompts to download mapping data for that location. Once points are downloaded, you no longer require a data connection to access these points.
This is where you can download points for a chosen civic location, for example the city of Vancouver. An internet connection is necessary to download points.
This screen can be navigated by headings if you don't want or need to go through every field. Download points by following these instructions:
Swipe right to have Voiceover read the instructions or move to the 'Primary Information' heading.
Swipe right and double tap to select your country. Your default country should already be selected but you can double tap the button to change it.
Swipe right and double tap to select your province, state or region. Your default region should already be selected but you can double tap the button to change it.
A further list of regions or districts may appear depending on your country. Double tap to make your selections.
Swipe right to move to the 'Selectable Locations' heading. The 'Select All' and 'Deselect All' buttons are directly below this heading. Double tap either button to activate it. (Although this may seem like a good idea, it is best to select only the cities you need.)
Swipe right to move through the list of cities for your selected region. Double tap to select the cities for which you want to get points. Your selected cities will appear under the 'Selected Locations' heading.
Once you've selected the cities you want, swipe right to the 'Selected Categories' heading. The 'Select All' and 'Deselect All' buttons are directly below this heading. Double tap either button to activate it. (Although all categories are selected by default, it is best to select only the categories you need.)
When your categories are selected, swipe right to the 'File Name' heading. Here you will see the name of the file of points you are importing. You can change this name but most users leave it as is.
If you are satisfied with your selections, double tap the 'Done' button at the top right of the screen.
The next screen is the 'Downloading' screen. There are beeps to indicate that the download is in progress and a dialogue that will read/display how much of the file has been downloaded so far. There is also a 'Cancel' button.
When the download is complete, you will hear the message, 'Points File Received' and then the question 'Would you like to import 'filename' now?' Swiping right will give you the option to 'cancel' or 'Import'.
When you double tap 'Import', you have the choice to import the points to an existing database or to create a new one.
If adding a new database, you will hear 'Text Field is Editing'. Enter the name of the new database and double tap on 'Done'. There will already be a default file name.
There will be beeps to indicate the import is in progress and then a message that the import is done. Double tap on 'OK'. These points are now active and ready for use. Once points are downloaded, you no longer require a data connection to access these points
When Loadstone is running, it uses a lot of power as it maximizes the phone's GPS capability in order to provide the most accurate information. Unless you shut down Loadstone, it will run in the background and consume power. To save power, go to the App Switcher by double tapping the home button on your phone, swipe right until you hear 'Loadstone' and then swipe up with three fingers to close the app. You can close all active apps in this same way.
Find video and text tutorials on the Loadstone website at: https://www.loadstone-gps.com
Connect with us on Facebook and Twitter through the links below:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/loadstonegps/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/LoadstoneGPS
The main Loadstone tabs appear at the bottom of every screen. They are:
Navigation
Databases
Extras
Settings
When you launch Loadstone, you are in the Navigation Tab. This section describes the screen layout and provides basic descriptions of the functions available in this tab. For detailed instructions on how to use the functions listed below, see Navigation Functions.
Swiping right on any screen will move you from option to option. Double tap on an option to select it.
At the top of the screen is the Navigation heading. To the right of that is the Actions button. Double tapping the Actions Button displays the following functions:
Last Point* - Allows you to perform actions on the last point displayed
Show Route* - Displays points and comments for a selected route
Use Route Points Only* - receive alerts and announcements only for points on a selected route
Show Checkpoints* - Display only points marked as checkpoints
Use Checkpoints Only* - receive alerts and announcements only for checkpoints
Start auto announce* – announces checkpoints at intervals
Explore – explore points in any direction around your current location
Go to – type in a latitude and longitude and save that location
Cancel – return to main screen
* Please note that one or more of these menu items may not appear, or will be described as 'dimmed', if the information is not available
Below the Actions button are four buttons:
Repeat Announcement
GPS Info
Course and Speed
Position
Double tapping this button will repeat the last point announced/displayed
Double tapping this button will display GPS information as follows:
Accuracy
Vertical Accuracy
Heading Accuracy
Double tapping this button will display course and speed information as follows:
Course
Speed
Heading
True Heading
Double tapping this button will display the position information as follows:
Latitude
Longitude
Altitude
Below the above four buttons is where your last point will be displayed. If there is no last point, the space will be blank and voiceover will skip over it.
The next nine functions on the screen allow you to orient yourself, find out what's around you and plan a route. Swipe right to move from function to function. Double tap a function to select it. See the Navigation Functions section for detailed instructions on the use of these functions.
Double tapping this will show the closest point. Swiping up or down will move you through the options to show the closest point ahead, behind, left, or right.
Double tapping this will show points within a radius around your current location.
Double tap this to quickly get the distance and direction to a locked point.
Double tap this to display and announce the next checkpoint.
Double tap this when you have a route loaded to display and announce the next point on a route.
Double tap this to enter a point of origin and a destination for which you want directions.
Double tap this to save all important information about your current location, name, latitude, longitude, category, etc.
Double tap to find a point by name or partial name.
Double tap this to show the name or address of your current location if it's known. If an internet connection is not available, Loadstone will do one or more of the following:
Search your downloaded databases, within the 'Search Neighbourhood' radius, and return the information for the point closest to your location.
Use your 'Search' radius to find the information for the closest point to your location.
For more detailed information and instructions on how to use these functions, go to 'Navigation Functions'.
Below the 'Databases' heading are the following database options:
Points
Checkpoints
Routes
Download Points by Civic Location
Download Points Around Location
Double-tapping on 'Points' will show you a list of all the points databases you have downloaded. For example: Greater Vancouver, Metro Vancouver Bus Stops, Metro Vancouver Intersections.
You can save a list of points associated with a particular trip. These are called 'checkpoints' and Loadstone can alert you upon approach and arrival. Comments can be added to a checkpoint to give instructions or details. Checkpoints are not displayed in any particular order.
Routes are lists of checkpoints that have a defined order. Routes also have defined directions (forward, Reverse or Both.) You can save a list of points as a route. Please note that a route is not the same as turn by Turn Navigation. For detailed instructions on saving points as a route, see Navigation Functions
Get points by selecting a country and specific areas in that country. For instructions on how to do this, see Loading Mapping Data.
Get points based on your current location. For instructions on how to do this, see the section 'Database Functions'.
The Extras tab contains non-travel related GPS features as follows:
Astronomic Information
Trip Meter
Help
Below the Extras heading is 'Astronomic Information.' Double tapping on this item will take you to a screen where you can swipe right to find information under the headings 'Sun' and 'Moon', such as:
Rise
Set
Elevation
Visibility
Azimuth
Declination
Right Ascension
Distance
The trip meter allows you to track the distance you've travelled. Double tapping this item takes you to the 'Trip Meter' screen. Beneath the heading is your total trip distance. Swipe right to move to the two other buttons on the screen:
Start: double tap to start the trip meter
Reset: double tap to reset the trip meter
If the 'Start' button is double tapped, the button label will read 'Stop'.
The other item in the Extras Tab is 'Help.' Double tap on this item to get the following information on the Help screen:
About: Get information on Loadstone's version and build number as well as a brief app description, a link to the Loadstone website and copyright information.
Documentation: An offline version of the Loadstone User Manual. No internet connection is necessary to read this manual. Double tapping on this item will take you to the 'Documentation' screen where you can swipe right and double tap on any of the links to read help on that topic.
Online Help: A link to the Help Page on the Loadstone website.
Visit the Loadstone Website: A link to the main Loadstone website where you can read updates, view tutorials and get contact information.
Terms of Use
Third-Party Licences
Report a Problem: Report technical problems to the app developer.
Send feedback: Send comments and testimonials to the app developer.
Swiping right will move you through the following list of settings below the Settings heading:
General
Display
Speech
Sounds
External Controls
Advanced
Tags Filter
Category Selection
Output Tags
Output Categories
Address Format
Double tap on 'General Settings' to adjust the following:
Signal Monitor
Speech
Sound
Vivration
Point Announce
Comment Announce
Search Radius
Neighbourhood Radius
Approach Time
Arrival Radius
Email Address
Password
Double tap on 'Display Settings' to adjust the following:
Distance Units
Speed Units
Course Units
Heading Units
Coordinate Units
Point Direction
Altitude Units
Astronomic Units
Pop Up Timeout
Double tap on 'Speech Settings' to adjust the following:
Synthesizer
Rate
Pitch
Volume
Language
Test Speech
Double tap on 'Sounds Settings' to adjust the following:
Error
No Signal
Signal
Weak Signal
Good Signal
Approaching
Arriving
Auto Announce
Importing
Exporting
Downloading
Uploading
Searching
Double tap on 'External Controls' to adjust the following:
External Controls
Play
Pause
Stop
Play/Pause
Next Track
Previous Track
Seek Backward
Seek Forward
Skip Backward
Skip Forward
Repeat Mode
Shuffle Mode
Playback Rate
Rating
Like
Dislike
Bookmark
Magic Tap/Repeat Announcement
Test Mode
Double tap on 'Advanced Settings' to adjust the following:
Signal Threshold
Good Signal Threshold
Signal Settle
Starting Search Radius
Minimum Approach Radius
Auto Announce Interval
Searching Sound Interval
Stationary Threshold
Double tap on 'Tags Filter' to see a list of tags you have selected not to display. For more information on tags, see the Points section.
Double tap on 'Category Selection' to see a list of categories you have selected to display. For more information on point categories, see the Points section.
Double tap on 'Output Tags' to see a list of output tags you have chosen to display. For more information on output tags, see the Points section.
Double tap on 'Output Categories' to see a list of output categories you have chosen to display. For more information on output categories, see the Points section.
Double tap on 'Address Format' to select the information you want displayed in an address from the following:
House Name
Flats
House Number
Conscription Number
Street
Side Street
Suburb
City
Hamlet
Place
Province
State
Country
Postal Code
Full
For more detailed descriptions and instructions about any of the above settings, go to the Settings section of this manual.
A point is any location on Earth with a set of latitude and longitude coordinates. When you install Loadstone for the first time, there will be no points databases installed. Examples of points databases you may want to install include points for your city or district (e.g. Greater Vancouver Regional District), points for transit (bus stops, ferry terminals, etc.) and street intersections in your area. You can also save points to a database you create. These points will not be shared unless you send them to Pointshare.
When you save a location with Loadstone, it's referred to as "saving a point." For example, you can save a point as "Fireworks Viewing Spot" when you find the perfect rock on the seawall from which to view yearly fireworks.
But there is a lot more you can do when saving a point than simply giving it a name. You can save almost any piece of information associated with that point as well. Let's look at the point "Dairy Queen", for example, found during a 'Show Neighbourhood' search.
After Loadstone announces "Dairy Queen" and its tags (which we explain shortly) there is a brief pause before you hear 'Actions Available.' Swiping up or down will give you the following actions:
Lock: Double tap to keep track of "Dairy Queen." Double tap the 'Show Locked Point' function in the Navigation Tab to get distance and direction information.
Visit website: There is a URL included in the point information for "Dairy Queen." Double tap and Safari will launch the website.
Show Neighbourhood: Double tap to show the neighbourhood around the "Dairy Queen."
Delete: Double tapping this will delete "Dairy Queen" from your points database, not the entire Pointshare database.
Show Point Details: Explained further below.
Update Point: If you've entered a point yourself, as opposed to a point that has come from Open Street Map or another Loadstone user, you have the option to update information for that point.
Call: If there is a phone number entered for a point, a call action becomes available.
Double tapping on 'Show Point Details' shows you what information has been saved along with the point name and coordinates. We will look at the point details for "Dairy Queen" in this example.
Below the 'Point Details' heading is the 'Primary Information' heading' where you will find the following information:
Display Name: Ice Cream Fast Food Dairy Queen
Address: In this case, no address is entered. You may enter this information.
Category: Other (This would be better set as 'Food' or 'Restaurant'.)
Name: Fast Food Dairy Queen
Latitude: 49.2120° N
Longitude: 122.9221° W
Accuracy: 1m
Status: Public (Points can be set as Public, Private or Restricted)
ID: This is the ID of the point in the Pointshare database.
UserID: This is the UserID of the user who uploaded the point to Pointshare.
Please note: If you want to report an incorrect or obsolete point to Loadstone, you will need to provide both the ID and UserID.
Below the Primary Information is the Tags heading. This is where any additional information about the point, besides its name and coordinates, can be specified. Tag information for "Dairy Queen" is as follows:
Amenity: Fast Food
Name: Dairy Queen
Source: Bing
Website: www.dairyqueen.com
Operator: Dairy Queen
Cuisine: Ice Cream
Drive Thru: Yes
Building: Yes
If you have a route selected and you want to add 'Dairy Queen' to your route:
Swipe up to activate actions for the point
Double tap on 'Add to Route'
Double tap to select Direction: Forward, Reverse or Both
The point may be inserted at the end of the route and need to be moved up
For more information on routes, see the section called Routes.
As you read the following section, refer to the example below:
Food, Ice Cream, Fast Food, Dairy Queen
Category: Food
Tag: Cuisine
Value of Cuisine Tag: Ice Cream
Type: Fast Food
Name: Dairy Queen
You can customize what point tag information Loadstone announces. For example, you may not want to hear about every tree or wastebasket you approach. As a new user, you won't have any tag filters. To see a list of your tag filters, go to 'Advanced' in the Settings Tab. For instructions on how to filter tags, see the
Double tapping on this item in the Settings Tab allows you to customize the categories of points you want Loadstone to show. By default, all categories are selected. Double tap on a category to deselect it. There are about 30 categories but here are a few examples:
Address
Agriculture
Amenity
Education
Emergency
Food
This is where you customize what tags you want displayed and in which order you want them displayed. If you don't have any tag filters, the items on this screen will be as follows:
Type: the type of point, for example, Fast Food. Double tap to change this setting.
Name: The name of the point, for example Dairy Queen. Double tap to change this setting.
Address: Point address if it has one. Double tap to change this setting.
A point may have hundreds of different tags associated with it. Here are some examples:
Type
Name
Address
Cuisine
You can customize the order in which tags in a point are announced. When you are on a tag, swiping up or down will give you the following options:
Delete: Removes tag from the output.
Move Up: Moves the tag one place up in the output order.
Move Down: Moves the tag one place down in the output order.
Double tapping on this item in the Settings Tab displays a list of categories. Swiping right moves you through the list. Double tapping on a category will select it for output in point information or deslect it from the output.
For the purpose of this section, refer to the following Canadian address:
5055 Joyce Street Vancouver BC V5B 1R2 Canada
House Number: 5055
Street: Joyce Street
City: Vancouver
Province: BC
Postal Code: V5B 1R2
Country: Canada
While this is a standard Canadian address, address formats in other countries may differ. Street names may come before house numbers, there may be states instead of provinces, etc. Loadstone allows you to customize the order in which address information is output. You can also customize which parts of an address you want output.
To customize address format, double tap on 'Address Format' in the Settings Tab. The following items appear on the Address Format screen:
House Name
Flats
House Number
Conscription Number
Street
Subdistrict
Suburb
City
Hamlet
Place
Province
State
Country
PostCode
Floor
Double tap an item in the list to change its setting. Swipe up or down to perform the following actions:
Move Up: Moves the item one place up in the output order.
Move Down: Moves the item one place down in the output order.
A checkpoint is a location that you are interested in, for example, your favourite coffee shop, intersections you cross on the way to work, etc. If you mark a location as a checkpoint, Loadstone will alert you on approach and arrival of this checkpoint.
You can mark checkpoints along a route to guide you to a desired destination. For example, if the library three blocks from your house is the destination, you can make the library a checkPoint' and mark the three intersections you need to cross as checkpoints as well.
Loadstone will tell you where the point is in relation to the direction in which you are walking. You can get directions in clockface or cardinal format. For more information on formats, see the Settings section.
Checkpoint: Inn at the Quay Stairs Comment: Go straight and turn right at the big flower pot
Checkpoint: River Market
Checkpoint: Paddlewheelers Pub
Checkpoint: Samson V Paddlewheeler Maritime Museum
The 'Checkpoints' screen is located in the Databases Tab. Double tap on 'Checkpoints' in the Databases Tab to view and manage databases of checkpoints. For more instructions, see the Databases Functions section.
You can add comments to a checkpoint to help you remember the exact location of a point. For example, if you get off the bus and Loadstone gives you an arrival alert for a checkpoint you know is across the street, you can add a comment like, Cross street at intersection, turn left and walk half a block.' Comments will be announced on approach and arrival of a checkpoint.
To add a comment, select a checkpoint and swipe up until you get to 'Edit Comment'. Double tap to get to the 'Point Comment' dialog. Enter comment and swipe right to the 'Save' button. Double tap to save the comment.
You will hear an 'approach' alert when you are a specified number of seconds away from a checkpoint. You will get an 'arrival' alert when you are a specified number of metres from a checkpoint. Alerts depend on your speed and your GPS accuracy.
Checkpoints are not reported in a specific order. You can approach any checkpoint from any direction and you will still get approach and arrival alerts.
You can choose to have Loadstone use checkpoints only, which means that other points in your databases will not show up in 'Show Neighbourhood' or 'Closest Point' searches or any point-related functions.
Routes are checkpoints that have a defined order. Routes also have defined directions (forward, Reverse, Both.) When you have a route selected, the following functions will appear in the 'Actions Menu' in the Navigation tab:
Show route
Use Route Points Only
Show Next Route Point (This option activates when you are moving and a good GPS signal is acquired. Loadstone will calculate the next point on your route based on which direction (forward or reverse) you are heading.)
Actions associated with this option:
Show destination - Shows final point in route
Show origin - shows starting point in route
Restart Route - recalculate points and direction of route
When you double tap on 'Show Route' in the Navigation tab, the first heading is the current direction: Forward or Reverse. Swipe right to move through points in the route. Comments can be added to route points to provide further instructions. For more instructions on using routes, see the section on Navigation Functions.
Routes can be accessed in the Databases tab
All options associated with Points or Checkpoints (Copy, Share, Delete, etc.) are available for routes.
Swipe up to activate actions for the point you want to add
Double tap on 'Add to Route'
Double tap to select Direction: Forward, Reverse or Both
The point may be inserted at the end of the route and need to be moved up
Routes can be accessed in the Databases tab. (See Tabs Layout - Databases Tab. All options associated with Points or Checkpoints (Copy, Share, Delete, etc.) are available for Routes.
Loadstone GPS is an app for blind pedestrians. In addition to turn by turn navigation, the GPS function most familiar to people, Loadstone offers several ways with which you can orient, explore and navigate your surroundings. These navigation functions are explained below, in order of their appearance in the Navigation Tab.
One or more databases (Points, Checkpoints or Routes) must be loaded in order to use any of Loadstone's navigation functions. For more instructions about databases, see the section on Database Functions.
The following functions are in the 'Actions Menu', to the right of the Navigation heading. Swipe right and double tap on the 'Actions Menu' to display the following functions:
Routes are checkpoints, or marked points of interest, that have a defined order. Please note that using a route is different to using turn by turn navigation. *When you have a route selected from the Databases tab, the first function under the Actions Button in the Navigation Tab is Show Route. Double tapping on this option takes you to the Route screen. The first heading on this screen is the current direction: Forward or Reverse. Swipe right to move through points in the route. Comments can be added to route points to provide further instructions. Swipe up on a route point to access the following options:
Move up: points can be moved up in a route
Move down: points can be moved down in a route
Copy: A point can be repeated more than once
Show comment: Show instructions associated with a point
Edit Comment: Edit instructions associated with a point
Remove: Remove a point from a route
Show Neighbourhood: Show the neighbourhood around a point
Show Details: Shows a point's details
Activate: If a route fails to show a point, you can activate the point with this button
When you have a route selected, the function 'Show Next Route Point' will appear below the item 'Show Next Checkpoint' in the Navigation tab. This option activates when you are moving and a good GPS signal is acquired. Loadstone will calculate the next point on your route based on which direction (forward or reverse) you are heading
Actions associated with this item:
Show destination - Shows final point in route
Show origin - shows starting point in route
Restart Route - recalculate points and direction of route
Double tap this to save all important information about your current location, name, latitude, longitude, category. Also save any other type of information that may be important to the point. Swipe right to move through the point's primary information and tags, edit if necessary and then double tap the 'Save' button.
Double tap to find a point by name or partial name. Below the Search field is the 'Search Categories' heading. Below this heading are the buttons you can double tap to 'Select All' or 'Deselect All' categories. Following these buttons is the list of categories. Double tap on a category to select or deselect it. Please note that the more categories selected, the longer the search will take.
After selecting the categories you want to search and entering text into the Search field, double tap on the 'Search' button to start the search. Search results will appear on a different screen. There will be beeps to indicate that the search is in progress. If no results are found, the message 'No points found' will be displayed. Double tapping on the 'Back' button will return you to the Find Point screen where you can refine your search or start a new one.
Double tap the 'Actions' button in the Navigation tab and swipe right until you get to 'Explore'. Double tap to select it. This will allow you to explore around your current location. When you start, Loadstone will tell you the nearest point to your current location and the direction of that point.
On the Explore screen, there is a grid of nine buttons, three across, three down. Each button represents a compass direction. The centre button is 'Return to Starting Point'. Swipe right to move through the buttons. Double tap to select a direction
You will hear the nearest point in the selected direction. The information will be displayed below the Exploration grid. Swipe right to hear the point. Swipe up to see actions associated with this point, as follows:
Check
Lock
Add to Route
Show Neighbourhood
Explore
Get Directions
Share
Delete
Get Details
Below the point is its distance from your current location. Swipe right to hear how far the point is from your current location.
Double tapping this will show the closest point. Swiping up will move you through the options to show the closest point ahead, behind, left, or right.
Double tap this to show points within a radius around your current location or a given point. To the right of the 'Neighbourhood' heading is the 'Actions' button. Double-tapping this button gives you the following options:
Refresh: Double-tap this to refresh the list of points displayed
Select Categories: Double tap this to specify what types of points you want to see (Address, Entertainment, Financial, etc.)
Cancel
Swipe right on the 'Neighbourhood' screen to move through the points listed. Swipe up on a selected point for the following options:
Lock
Add to Route
Show Neighbourhood
Explore
Get Directions
Share
Show Details
Activate
Double tap this to quickly get the distance and direction to a point you've locked.
Double tap this to check a point and when you're approaching get a sound, announcement, and optionally display a comment. When you're ariving get a sound, announcement and optionally display a comment
Double tap this to check the next point on a route and when you're approaching get a sound, announcement, and optionally display a comment. When you're ariving get a sound, announcement and optionally display a comment
Double tap this to enter a point of origin and a destination for which you want directions. Swipe right past the 'Turn by turn Navigation' and 'Plan a Route' headings.
Double-tap on the 'Origin' field to enter a starting location or swipe right and double-tap on 'Use Current Location'. .
Swipe right to the 'Destination' field and double-tap to enter a desired location.
Swipe right to select your preferred route type. Double-tap and swipe up or down to move through the route types as follows: Walking, Driving, Driving Avoiding Traffic, Cycling, Any)
Double tap this to save all important information about your current location, name, latitude, longitude, category.
Double tap to find a point by name or partial name.
Double tap this to show the name or address of your current location if it's known. If an internet connection is not available, Loadstone will do one or more of the following:
Search your downloaded databases, within the 'Search Neighbourhood' radius, and return the information for the point closest to your location.
Use your 'Search' radius to find the information for the closest point to your location.
At the top of the Databases Tab screen is the Databases heading. Swiping right will take you through the items on this screen as follows:
Points
Checkpoints
Routes
Download points by civic location
Download points around location
Swiping up and down when 'Points', 'Checkpoints' or 'routes' is selected will give you the following actions:
Exported Points Exported Checkpoints or exported routes
Imported Points, Imported Checkpoints or imported routes
Double tap on either of the above options to view a list of imported or exported points, checkpoints or routes.
When a points database is active, swiping up or down will give you the following actions:
Activate
Import: You can import points into the selected database from Pointshare, a file or another network location.
Export: You can save the database to a file for use by applications capable of reading Loadstone compatible files. Please note that there are currently no applications that read the new Loadstone file format.
Send to Pointshare: Send points you wish to share with the public to Pointshare. Double tapping this option will start an upload in the background. When the upload is complete, you will be told how many points have been uploaded.
Rename: Change the name of the database.
Copy
Share:
Delete: Delete the entire database.
The same actions are available for a database of checkpoints or routes.
When you download points from Pointshare, the text files are saved here. It is good practice to delete these files periodically if you don't need them as they can take up a lot of space. Please note that this does not delete the actual points database.
When you double tap on General Settings, swiping right will move you through the following list below the General Settings heading:
Signal Monitor: Tells you what type of signal you have (good, weak, bad or none.) Double tap to turn this setting on or off.
Good Signal Monitor: If you have the signal monitor on, this setting will let you know if you have a good signal or not, as opposed to just saying 'signal acquired.' Double tap to turn this setting on or off.
Speech: This should be set to 'On' if you want to hear Loadstone notifications like checkpoint announcements. Double tap to turn this setting on or off.
Sounds: Controls all Loadstone sounds. Double tap to turn this setting on or off.
Vibration: Some sounds, like the approach alert, are accompanied by a vibration. Double tap to turn this setting on or off.
Point Announce: Controls when checkpoints are announced. You can select Arrival', 'Approach' or 'Both.' Double tap to change this setting.
Comments Announce: Controls when comments associated with checkpoints are announced. You can select Arrival', 'Approach' or 'Both.' Double tap to change this setting.
Search Radius: Controls how far from your location a search extends. While it is tempting to set your search radius to a large area, keep in mind that this can slow down your search if there are many points in that area. Swipe up or down to adjust this setting.
Neighbourhood Radius: Controls the radius used for a 'Show Neighbourhood' search. While it is tempting to set your search radius to a large area, keep in mind that this can slow down your search if there are many points in that area. Swipe up or down to adjust this setting.
Approach Time: Controls when you receive an alert on approaching a checkpoint. This is calculated based on your speed. Swipe up or down to adjust this setting.
Arrival Radius: Controls how close you must be to a checkpoint before you get an arrival alert. This is calculated based on your accuracy. Swipe up or down to adjust this setting.
Email address: This is the email address you use for Pointshare. Please note that the email address is case sensitive.
Password: This is the password you use for Pointshare. Please note that the password is case sensitive.
In this tab, you can configure the measurement units Loadstone uses. Swiping right will take you through the following list below the 'Display Settings' heading:
Distance Units: Double tap to change from Metric, Imperial or Nautical units.
Speed Units: Double tap to change from Metric, Imperial or Naughts.
Course Units: Double tap to change from Simplified Cardinal, Degrees or Cardinal.
Heading Units: Double tap to change from Simplified Cardinal, Degrees or Cardinal.
Coordinate Units: Double tap to change from DMS Compass or Degrees.
Point Direction: Double tap to change from Clockface, Simplified Cardinal, Degrees or Cardinal.
Altitude Units: Double tap to change from Metric or Imperial.
Astronomic Units: Double tap to change from Metric, Imperial or Earth Radii.
Popup Timeout: Swipe up or down to adjust the timeout for pop up notifications. (Note: Speech users may want to set this value as low as possible as it can interrupt if you are typing into the 'Find Point' or other search fields.)
On this screen, you can configure the app's internal speech synthesizer. Swiping right will take you through the following list below the Speech Settings' heading:
Synthesizer: Double tap to turn the speech synthesizer on or off. If you have Voiceover on, and Loadstone is running in the foreground, Loadstone will use Voiceover for announcements. This creates a more unified experience. If you choose to turn on the app's synthesizer, you will have two voices to listen to and there will be a lag in performance.
Rate: Swipe up or down to adjust how slow or fast the synthesizer speaks.
Pitch: Swipe up or down to adjust the pitch of the synthesizer.
Volume: Swipe up or down to adjust the synthesizer volume.
Language: Swipe up or down to choose the synthesizer language.
Test Speech: Double tap this button to hear how the synthesizer sounds.
On this screen, you can configure the sounds Loadstone uses. Swiping right will take you through the following list below the Sounds Settings' heading:
Error
No Signal
Signal
Weak Signal
Good Signal
Approaching
Arriving
Auto Announce
Importing
Exporting
Downloading
Uploading
Searching
The values associated with each sound contain a frequency and a duration separated by a period. There is a 'V' in the values that contain vibration. The more complicated sounds contain musical notes and octave values.
A sound specification is made up of one or more frequencies, musical notes and/or vibrations. Specifications are separated by spaces. A sound specification follows one of the formats below:
frequency1[,frequency2][?volume][:balance][!repeats].duration
v[!repeats].duration
Frequency1 and frequency2 are the sound frequencies to be played. This can be specified as a frequency in Hz or as a musical note. A musical note consists of letters A thrue G, (optionally followed by the # character to indicate the sharp of that note) followed by a digit 0 thrue 9 to indicate the note's octave. if 0 is specified then there will be no sound for the specified duration.
If the letter V is used in place of frequency1 this will cause the phone to vibrate instead of playing a sound.
Volume is the percentage of the phone's maximum volume for this sound. The value is from 0 to 100.
Balance is the left/right balance for this sound. The value is from -100 (full left) to 100 (full right). The default is 0 (center).
Repeats indicates how many times this sound or vibration should play. The
default is 1.
Duration is the time in miliseconds of this vibration or frequency.
Vibrations and sounds can be specified in the same sound specification. Vibrations will take place in the background and sounds will be played in the foreground.
This feature allows you to use Loadstone with multimedia controls. If your headset, for example, has controls like play, pause, stop, rewind, forward, etc., you can assign Loadstone functions to these controls. The External Controls feature also allows you to set up the 'magic tap' gesture.
Note: If you enable these controls, you will not be able to use Loadstone and a music player simultaneously. Since Loadstone will be using the player controls, it will mute the music player. Turn External Controls off if you wish to use the music player to play music.
Double tapping on 'External Controls' in the Settings tab will take you to the 'External Controls' screen. Swiping right will move you through a list of controls to which you can assign Loadstone functions. Note that this list is a complete list of controls and that your multimedia device may or may not have all of these controls.
Double tapping on any of the controls in this list will allow you to cycle through a list of Loadstone functions to which you can assign the control.
To use the 'magic tap' feature, you don't need to enable External Controls.
When 'Test Mode' is on, it allows you to test which buttons your media controller has.
Note from developer: Most users should not play with these settings as they control aspects of the program that have been tested and proven to be optimal for the app's performance.
Swiping right will take you through the following list below the Advanced Settings' heading:
Signal Threshold: Any accuracy value above this setting's value is considered no signal. Swipe up or down to adjust this value.
Good signal threshold: Any accuracy values equal to, or below, this setting's value is considered to be a good signal. Swipe up or down to adjust this value.
Signal settle: The number of seconds to wait for a stable signal. Swipe up or down to adjust this value.
Starting Search Radius: Controls the starting radius of a search. Swipe up or down to adjust this value.
Minimum approach radius: The minimum radius at which a point will be announced. Swipe up or down to adjust this value.
Auto Announce Interval: The interval at which points are automatically announced. Setting this value to 0 seconds means the interval will be calculated based on distance to the point. Swipe up or down to adjust this value.
Searching Sound Interval: How often beeps occur during a search. Swipe up or down to adjust this value.
Stationary Threshold: Speed values below this setting's value are considered stationary. Swipe up or down to adjust this value.
Categories – groups of tags, for example, Agriculture, Education, Financial, etc.)
Checkpoint – A checkpoint is a point that you are interested in, for example, your favourite coffee shop, intersections you cross on the way to work, etc.
Point - A point is a location designated by latitude and longitude coordinates. Points can be locations on a map (example: Stanley Park) or a location that a user saves to a Loadstone database (example: My Home.)
Pointshare – a database that stores points saved by Loadstone users. Your points are not shared unless you choose to share them.
Route - Routes are checkpoints that have a defined order (Forward, Reverse or Both)
Tabs – The four main sections of the Loadstone app that appear at the bottom of every screen: Navigation, Databases, Extras and Settings.
Tags – a label assigned to a point, for example, cuisine, bollard, natural
Turn by turn navigation – a function that allows you to enter a starting point and a destination in order to get step by step directions to and from those points